Report of the Trial of Ashley and Simons: Excerpted from A Complete Collection of State Trials (1779)

This is an original article, a large folio (10 x 16 inches) consisting of 107 pages printed in double columns, excerpted from A Complete Collection of State Trials (1779). The main focus is the case of Ashley and Simons, a Polish Jew, tried amidst the controversy surrounding the Jew Bill. Simons was initially found guilty but later acquitted after public outcry, with his accuser found guilty of perjury. This case represents the first instance of a new trial being granted in a criminal case in Great Britain. A significant portion of the report also details the trial of Elizabeth Canning for perjury in 1754, resulting in her transportation to Connecticut. The item highlights legal proceedings related to the Jew Bill and issues of foreign Jews in 18th-century Britain.

Associated People/Businesses

• Simons, Henry

Geography

No geographic information available.

Subjects

• Trials
• Perjury

Physical Location

Arc.MS.56, Oversize Box 5, Folder 4